Too Many Losing Heroines! - Volume 6 - Chapter 2.1

Chapter 2: As Damp as the Number of Tears

The Monday after a holiday always feels heavy.

Amidst this heaviness, I somehow made it to the after-school homeroom. A dark atmosphere engulfed the entire classroom.

"A friend of mine just told me she got a new boyfriend.”

Thus began the harbinger of gloomy tales. Our homeroom teacher, Amanatsu-sensei, was in full-on pitch-black mode.

Leaning on the podium, Amanatsu-sensei started twirling her hair with her fingertips.

"I didn't even hear that she broke up with her last boyfriend. Isn’t that really weird? I’ve never encountered any particularly good or bad things, but how come she’s always getting a nice deal after another?”

I think I know who that friend might be.

While Amanatsu-sensei's drama unfolded, I subtly glanced towards Yakishio by the window, resting her cheek on her hand.

Yakishio was gazing out the window, seemingly lost in thought.

-She suddenly invited me to join the going home club.

After that, I barely managed a response, and we walked in silence.

And thus, my first date ended in front of the aquarium.

The only consolation was the delicious Sugakiya ramen I had alone at Gamagori Station.

"Even if you say you're lonely because it's cold, what am I supposed to do when I'm always cold? Even the cat in my own house only snuggles up to Konuki-chan- when will your dear sensei’s winter end?"

I wish homeroom would end before Amanatsu-sensei's winter does. She's now started hunting for split ends of her hair.

After eliminating what seemed like the umpteenth split end, Amanatsu-sensei finally seemed satisfied and slowly stood up.

"Well, it's March now. We have the graduation ceremony on Friday, and you guys will be senpais next month."

Light returned to the eyes of my classmates as the end of Amanatsu-sensei’s theater seemed imminent.

Amanatsu-sensei looked around at us with a more serious expression than usual.

"There will be class changes in the second year, and we'll only be together for a little while longer. I've actually had quite a fun year with you all."

Amanatsu-sensei took the responsibility of teaching us very seriously in the past. However, she won’t be facing us starting tomorrow. It will surely be a struggle. Will she be alright?

It’s not really my business, but I’m still worried about her. Sensei then smacked the attendance book on the podium.

"Alright, that's it for today! Make sure you don't get into trouble on your way home!"

As the long homeroom finally came to an end, I looked for Yakishio among the standing classmates.

I hadn't spoken to her all morning, but I knew I needed to have a proper conversation.

"Yakishio!"

Yakishio looked surprised when I blocked her path.

"What’s up, Nukkun? You raised your voice."

“No, uh, about yesterday…”

Well, this is awkward. I called out to her impulsively, but now I'm struggling to start the conversation.

I fell silent, and Yakishio also fidgeted with her fingers.

"...Yeah, sorry for suddenly saying something like that. It must have troubled you."

"...It's not that I was troubled. It's just that…it was so sudden..."

What did her words from yesterday mean? If something happened in the club, maybe I could still do something about it-

There's so much I need to ask, yet here she is, fidgeting with her fingers when facing me.

“It might have been sudden for you, but that wasn't the case for me, so that's why..."

Yakishio looked up at me with her eyes.

"I would be delighted if you could think about it properly."

“S-Sure.”

Yakishio flipped the hem of her short skirt as I nodded awkwardly.

"Then, I have to go to the gym today. I'll be leaving now."

“Uh, see you.”

Yakishio ran out of the suddenly quiet classroom.

I just stared at her retreating figure- wait, why is the classroom so quiet…?

When I realized and looked around, all my classmates were staring at me with serious faces.

Even Yanami is giving me a look I've never seen before.

Was her sclera always that big...?

As I stood there confused, a light BGM started playing in my head, and the scent of flowers filled the air.

Karen Himemiya stood before me with her hands akimbo, blocking my way.

“May I have a word, Nukumizu-kun?”

“Eh? Not really…”

I retreated in fear, but I could feel something heavy cutting off my escape from behind.

“Ohoho, to think you would reject Karen-chan’s invitation, you’ve got balls, Nukumizu-kun.”

The pressure comes from Yanami, standing behind me.

With the 8K of the front gate and the 4K of the back gate-

I had no choice but to comply when facing the proud 12K combo of Tsuwabuki.

*

At a family restaurant a little away from school.

I took a sip of cola while trembling in this haven.

Across the table, loaded with a large serving of fries, sat Karen Himemiya with a smile and Anna Yanami with a somewhat blank expression.

"…Nukumizu-kun, I'm a bit curious about your conversation with Yakishio-san earlier."

Himemiya-san pressed on with a smile that somehow added pressure.

Even though she says she's curious, it's not like anything related to the Literature Club concerns Himemiya-san…

"Uh, sorry, but it's not something that concerns Himemiya-san, and I can't really go into details-"

Bam! Himemiya-san slammed the table with force.

"It does concern me! I can't just ignore anything that involves my best friend Anna!"

Eh, how does Yakishio's story relate to Yanami?

And this whole best friend setting with her, I swear I need regular reminders, or I'll forget…

"I was planning to tell Yanami-san eventually- but I went out with Yakishio yesterday."

"It was a date, right?"

Yanami corrected me with a sharp glare.

"Well, yeah, but it doesn't really matter either way..."

I tried to brush it off, but Himemiya-san gave me a stern look this time.

"It does matter! You already have Anna, don't you!?"

“Huh?” (x2)

First off, I don't "have" Yanami, and second of all, what is she even talking about?

Even Yanami looks perplexed by this.

"You already have Anna as your girlfriend, and you still go on a date with another girl? That's obviously not okay!"

She started making serious accusations out of nowhere.

"Wait! Yanami-san and I aren't dating, you know!?”

“Eh?”

Now it's Himemiya-san's turn to be shocked. Her eyes widened as she looked back and forth between Yanami and me.

“So, Anna, does that mean you got dumped again-”

Hold up, that's not a road we want to go down. I quickly waved my hands after seeing Yanami's expression, 

"No, no, no, we were never together in the first place! Come on, Yanami-san, say something!"

Yanami slowly turned her head towards me with a creak.

"W-Well, I guess what Karen-chan is saying is... a misunderstanding?"

“Right, right.”

"It's more like I was the one who dumped Nukumizu-kun if anything."

“...Ha? I wasn’t even dumped a little bit.”

Very well, it’s war, then. I finished my cola with gusto and slammed the glass down with force.

"If you're talking about what happened last July, that was entirely your misunderstanding, Yanami-san. Given such a misunderstanding, it's inevitable to doubt your perception of events thereafter."

“...Doubt?”

Yanami raised an eyebrow and shoveled a fry into her mouth.

I nodded and reached for the nearly empty plate of fries.

"For example, regarding the incident at the observation deck at the end of the year, you unilaterally suggested that I confess. Normally, such a conversation would never come up if there wasn't a mutual interest in confessing. This suggests there might be a fundamental distortion in your perception. In other words-"

Yanami pointed a long fry in my direction, cutting me off.

"Do you want to say I was the one who unilaterally became conscious of you, Nukumizu-kun?"

...The answer was silence. Yanami, who had been narrowing her eyes at me, now smirked.

"The premise is wrong, Nukumizu-kun. A situation where a girl and a boy are alone, and the boy says he has something serious to talk about- that's universally understood as a confession, isn't it?"

“I told you that was a misunderstanding-”

"It's the collective unconscious. You just haven't realized it, Nukumizu-kun, but that was actually a confession."

Collective...unconscious? She's definitely using terms she doesn't understand.

"And since I rejected that, it naturally means I dumped you, doesn't it?"

“How come I don’t see it that way then?”

"The end-of-year thing was like rejecting you before you could even confess. If anything, you should be thankful."

She even wants me to thank her.

Alright, it's about time Yanami faces reality.

"Then let's have Himemiya-san make a judgment."

"Indeed, Karen-chan, you should have a clear outsider’s perspective, right?”

“Eh? Me?”

Himemiya-san flinched when we suddenly threw the ball to her.

After looking back and forth between us for a while, she tilted her head and said-

"So, are you two…constantly breaking up and getting back together?"

“No!” (x2)

We ended up saying it in unison.

Yanami let out a strained voice while holding her head.

"F-For now, the judgment for Nukumizu-kun will wait until the arrival of the third judge."

"A third one? Someone else is coming?"

"This involves the Literature Club, right? That’s why I've also called Komari-chan."

Is Komari coming, too? I noticed a head bobbing behind an indoor plant as I casually looked around.

...What is she doing?

Just as I reached for my phone to call her out, a message arrived as if on cue.

<Who’s next to Yanami?>

Come to think of it, this was her first time meeting Himemiya-san.

Just as I was about to reply, I reconsidered and stood up. Since she's here, I might as well bring her over.